Page 118 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

NEWPORT BEACH
Quiet, elegant, sophisticated and relaxing
B Y M A R I B E T H M E L L I N
SAILING AT NEWPORT BEACH,
above; Pelican Hill Golf Club, below.
BOTH A CLASSIC SOCAL BEACH town
and an affluent Orange County enclave,
Newport Beach melds a laid-back barefoot
vibe with sleek sophistication. Pros and
amateurs revere the Wedge, a famed surf
break crashing on the shores of Balboa
Peninsula within view of handsome yachts
gliding through Newport Harbor. Kids
screech with delight from atop the Ferris
wheel at the seaside Balboa Fun Zone, where
ferries depart for the exclusive boutiques on
Balboa Island. Repeat visitors, and there are
a lot of them, feel their spirits lift each time
they arrive and long to return when they
leave. Fortunately, this sunny hideaway is
easy to reach by air, land and sea. Orange
County’s John Wayne Airport is just minutes
from Newport Beach, efficient freeways lead
straight to the coast and the Newport Beach
Yacht Club and several marinas await all
manner of seaworthy vessels.
Leave the Rat Race Behind
Visitors escape from their hectic daily
lifestyles on hiking and biking trails that
etch the natural wild lands along bird-
filled estuaries on the Back Bay Loop Trail.
Kayaks, paddleboards and jet skis skim
across the water along Newport Beach’s 10
miles of coastline. At Crystal Cove State
Park, horseback riding trails overlook pris-
tine beaches edging an underwater marine
park, where divers swim among swaying
anemones and bright orange Garibaldi. On
THE PELICAN HILL GC. TOP: GEORGE KAMPER. OPPOSITE: ANDY TEMPLETON; JASON DEWEY
116 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A